CN111811048A

CN111811048A - Air conditioner with shutter for comfortable outlet air

Info

Publication number: CN111811048A
Application number: CN201910285927.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 吴腾; 巴里斯·坦耶尔迪斯
Original assignee: Electrolux Appliances AB
Current assignee: Electrolux Appliances AB
Priority date: 2019-04-10
Filing date: 2019-04-10
Publication date: 2020-10-23

Abstract

An air conditioner (20) having a louvered baffle (10) is provided. A louver baffle may be located at an air outlet of the air conditioner to direct outlet air. The air conditioner may include a displacement mechanism (14) for displacing the shutter relative to the air conditioner air outlet. The shutter plate includes a plurality of apertures and is adapted to be positioned by a displacement mechanism in an angled position displaced at an angle from the air outlet, wherein the outlet air is deflected in both an upward direction and a downward direction. This makes it possible to create an air flow that can collide in the center of the room. The air flow can create a vortex of two slowly moving air that the user feels surrounded by cold air. The holes in the louver plates allow a small amount of air to pass through the holes, which helps prevent condensation from forming in the rear side of the louver plates when the air conditioner is operating in high humidity conditions.

Description

Air conditioner with shutter for comfortable outlet air

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an air conditioner. In particular, the present invention relates to an air conditioner having a louver baffle for providing comfortable outlet air.

Background

Air conditioning is a collective expression for conditioning air to a desired state. Air conditioning may be heating air during cold periods, cooling air during warmer periods, or for cleaning air when it contains unwanted particles. However, the expression air-conditioning is most often used when emphasis is given to cooling. As one product, air conditioners may have various appearances and air conditioners may be used in various ways, but the air conditioners all share the same basic technology. An air conditioner includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and typically also an expansion device.

There are different types of air conditioners. One type of air conditioner may be referred to as a split-type air conditioner. In a split type air conditioner, a condenser and an evaporator are located in two different separation units connected to each other by pipes to circulate a refrigerant from one unit to the other.

Another type of Air Conditioner may be referred to as a Packaged Air Conditioner. Unitary Air Conditioners (AC) can be said to be a self-contained system in which all of the cooling cycle components and control systems, such as the compressor, condenser, expansion device, evaporator, etc., are enclosed in a single package.

In any event, the final output from the air conditioner is conditioned air that is blown into a room or other space. It is generally desirable to deliver air in sufficient quantities at low noise and the process of delivering air should be energy efficient.

In order to introduce air into the room, so-called louvered baffles may be used at the air outlet from the air conditioner. Accordingly, the louver plates may be described as movable elements provided for displacing air blown by a fan of the air conditioner. One or more such movable elements or shutter plates may be provided at the air outlet. The shutter(s) may deflect and aim the airflow in a particular direction.

Louver baffles are particularly important in air conditioning/heat pump units where the louver baffles are capable of conveying conditioned air in different directions. Thereby enabling to improve performance and user comfort of the air conditioner. According to some embodiments, one horizontal shutter that can be adjusted (automatically or manually) to direct air up and down is combined with a plurality of vertical shutters that can be adjusted (automatically or manually) to direct air from one side to the other. This will allow three-dimensional air guidance.

Furthermore, US2018/172288 describes an air conditioner comprising a louvered baffle having holes.

There is a continuing desire for improved air conditioners. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved air conditioner.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved air conditioner. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to improve the delivery of conditioned air from an air conditioner.

These objects and/or other objects are achieved by an air conditioner comprising a shutter as described in the appended claims.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner including a louver shutter. A louver baffle may be located at an air outlet of the air conditioner for directing outlet air. The air conditioner may include a displacement mechanism for displacing the louver baffle relative to the air conditioner air outlet. The shutter plate includes a plurality of apertures and is adapted to be positioned by a displacement mechanism in an angled position displaced at an angle from the air outlet, wherein the outlet air is deflected in both an upward direction and a downward direction. This enables the formation of an air flow that can collide in the center of the room. The air flow can create a vortex of two slowly moving air that the user feels surrounded by cold air. The holes in the louver plates allow a small amount of air to pass through the holes, which helps prevent condensation from forming in the rear side of the louver plates when the air conditioner is operating in high humidity conditions.

According to one embodiment, the aperture is oval. Whereby air can flow through the holes in an efficient manner.

According to one embodiment, the holes are formed diagonally (obliquely) through the shutter blind. Thereby, the air resistance to the air flowing through the hole can be reduced.

According to one embodiment, the air conditioner is a split type air conditioner, and a louver shutter is installed on an air outlet of an indoor unit of the split type air conditioner. Thereby enabling an efficient implementation in a split type air conditioner.

According to one embodiment, the angled position is such that more air is deflected in the upward direction than in the downward direction. For example, the angled position is such that at least 60% of the air is directed in an upward direction. Moreover, the angled position can be such that at least 20% of the air is directed in a downward direction. Thereby enabling an efficient air distribution in the room.

Drawings

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of a shutter baffle having elliptical apertures;

FIG. 2 is a close-up view of the elliptical aperture and its configuration;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view from the side of the shutter plate;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner having a louver baffle; and

fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner provided with a louver plate positioned in a gentle cooling position.

Detailed Description

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. For example, the same or similar components of the different embodiments can be interchanged between the different embodiments. For example, the mounting of a louver baffle as described herein is shown on an indoor unit of a split air conditioner, but the louver baffle could equally be mounted on any type of air conditioner. Some components can be omitted according to different embodiments. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

To reduce the air velocity from the air outlet of the air conditioner, a louver baffle including a large number of small holes may be placed on the air outlet. Thereby, the air can be spread more evenly throughout the room at very low air velocities. In particular, the air velocity is below 3m/s or below 1m/s or below 0.3 m/s.

In fig. 1, a shutter 10 for an air conditioner is shown. The shutter 10 comprises a large number of holes 12. The number of holes 12 may be very large, such as in excess of one hundred, and may typically be several hundred, or even thousands of holes 12 may be provided. In fig. 1, the holes 12 are shown as extending over only a small portion of the shutter 10, but it is contemplated that the holes are provided over the entire shutter 10 or at least over a large area of the shutter 10. The purpose of the holes is to catch up with the air flow direction when the shutter is in the closed position over the air outlet of the air conditioner. Further use of the aperture is described below in conjunction with fig. 5. In the closed position, the shutter plates provide a very low output air velocity.

In fig. 2, the hole 12 and the configuration of the hole 12 are shown in more detail. The aperture 12 may have any suitable shape. To reduce the air resistance of the shutter, the holes may be made oval according to some embodiments. The size of the holes may be in the order of a few millimeters. For example between 1mm and 10 mm. For example, the width may be about 1mm to 5mm and the length may be about 2mm to 10 mm. According to one embodiment, the width of the hole is 3mm and the length of the hole is 4 mm. The holes 12 may have a finish for smooth air intake. The finishing may be of the order of 0.1mm to 0.5mm, such as 0.2mm or 0.3 mm. The holes 12 may be placed in a triangular pattern such that the center positions of three adjacent holes are located at the corners of the triangle. According to some embodiments, the triangle may be an isosceles triangle, i.e., a triangle with two equal sides L1. The sides of such a triangle may have a length of about 3mm to 15 mm. For example, when the triangle is an isosceles triangle, the two phases equal sides L1 may be about 3mm to 10mm, and the third side L2 may be longer, such as 4mm to 15mm, depending on the length of the two phases equal sides. According to one embodiment, the triangle may be formed approximately as a triangle having three equal sides. In such embodiments, side L1 is equal to third side L2. According to some embodiments, the triangular pattern is formed by offsetting adjacent columns of apertures 12 from one another. Thus, two holes of one column will not form a rectangle with two adjacent holes in an adjacent column. Also, as will be described in more detail below, holes may be made through the shutter plate 10 in a diagonal direction.

In fig. 3, a cross-sectional view along line a-a in fig. 1 is shown. As shown, the holes 12 are formed diagonally, i.e., at an angle offset from a line perpendicular to the plane of the shutter 10. It is thereby achieved that the air does not pass straight through the shutter 10 but can enter and exit the holes diagonally. The air will then not leave the air conditioner directly from the shutter 10, but at an offset angle as shown in fig. 3. The offset angle may typically be 10 to 80 degrees and/or 30 to 60 degrees. According to one embodiment, the offset angle is set to match the airflow at the air outlet of the air conditioner, as shown in fig. 4. In other words, the holes are arranged at an angle such that the holes are parallel to the air flow at the air outlet. Further, the louver shutter 10 can be displaced with respect to the airflow from the fan of the air conditioner by the displacement mechanism 14.

In fig. 4, a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner 20 is shown to illustrate the shutter baffle as described herein when installed in the air conditioner. In fig. 4, the air conditioner 20 is an indoor unit of a split type air conditioner, but the air conditioner 20 may be any type of air conditioner. The air conditioner 20 includes a frame 21 that houses components of the air conditioner. The air conditioner includes a fan 22 configured to blow air out of the air conditioner 20 through an air outlet 24. The air outlet 24 is provided with a shutter 10. According to some embodiments, a single shutter baffle 10 is provided. The shutter 10 can be moved using a displacement mechanism.

In fig. 5, an air conditioner 20 having a shutter moved to another position is shown. The position of the shutter 10 shown in FIG. 5 may be referred to as a gradual cooling position. In the mild cooling position, the shutter 10 is in the open position. In other words, the shutter 10 is moved to a position spaced from the air outlet 24. In addition, the shutter plates are moved to an angled position such that air exiting the air outlet 24 is deflected both upwardly and downwardly. In other words, when the air conditioner 20 is in use, air exiting the air conditioner will be deflected by the shutter 10 in both an upward direction and a downward direction. Thus, the shutter plates will be in a position to deflect air to both sides of shutter plate 10. According to some embodiments, the louver plates may be positioned in a position that deflects more air in an upward direction than in a downward direction. Also, a small portion of the air will pass through the holes of the shutter 10. According to one embodiment, the shutter baffle 10 may be positioned in a gradual cooling position with at least 60% of the air deflected in an upward direction. According to one embodiment, the shutter baffle 10 may be positioned in a gradual cooling position with at least 20% of the air deflected in an upward position.

According to one embodiment, the louver baffles may be disposed in a gentle cooling position and angled such that 70% of the air goes upward and 30% of the air goes downward. When the air streams collide at the center of the room, the air streams create vortices that give the user the sensation of two slowly moving air surrounded by cool air. The holes in the shutter allow a small amount of air to pass through the holes, which helps prevent condensation from forming in the rear side of the shutter 10 when operating in high humidity conditions.

The exhaust air is divided into an upward flow and a downward flow, creating a surrounding cooling effect. In this case, the user receives the cold air in an indirect manner and at a low speed.

Since the shutter 10 is provided with holes 12, air transport can take place in a gentle cooling position without negative effects, such as the formation of condensation on the shutter. Thus, as has been appreciated, providing apertures in the shutter plates will reduce or eliminate the formation of condensate on the outer sides of the shutter plates. This may be formed in particular when cooled air is delivered from the air conditioner 20. Particularly when the air in the room where the air conditioner is placed is warm and humid, when the cooled air is blown on the inner side of the louver board 10, condensed water may be formed on the outer side of the louver board. This can be particularly troublesome if the shutter is in the position referred to above as the gentle cooling position, since the condensate will then typically drip from the lower portion of the shutter and may cause discomfort and other problems where water drips down.

The use of holes in the shutter plates prevents or at least reduces the formation of condensation on the outer side. This is at least partly because some air will pass through the shutter, preventing the formation of condensation on the outer side of the shutter 10.

Claims

1. An air conditioner (20), the air conditioner (20) comprising a shutter (10), the shutter (10) being located at an air outlet (24) of the air conditioner to direct outlet air, and the air conditioner comprising a displacement mechanism (14), the displacement mechanism (14) for displacing the shutter relative to the air outlet of the air conditioner, the shutter comprising a plurality of holes (12), wherein the shutter is adapted to be positioned by the displacement mechanism in an angled position displaced at an angle from the air outlet, wherein the outlet air is deflected both in an upward direction and in a downward direction.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the aperture is oval shaped.

3. The air conditioner as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the hole is formed diagonally through the louver.

4. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air conditioner is a split type air conditioner, and the louver shutter is installed on an air outlet of an indoor unit of the split type air conditioner.

5. The air conditioner of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the angled position is such that more air is deflected in an upward direction than in a downward direction.

6. The air conditioner of claim 5, wherein the angled position is such that at least 60% of the air is directed in an upward direction.

7. The air conditioner of claim 5 or 6, wherein the angled position is such that at least 20% of the air is directed in a downward direction.